West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Liverpool

Jordon Ibe's goal was his first in the Premier League

Liverpool must win the Europa League final to secure European football next season as a draw at West Brom ensured an eighth-place league finish.

West Brom led when 17-year-old Jonathan Leko skipped free to tee up Salomon Rondon for an emphatic low finish.

Liverpool responded soon after though Jordon Ibe's fine run and shot.

Neither side could do enough after the break to win all three points, but the Baggies came closest with Rondon hitting the post with a deft header.

Reaction from Sunday's Premier League games

Relive the action from the Hawthorns

Youngsters impress

The reverse fixture at Anfield in December had been a heated affair, ending with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp declining to shake the hand of West Brom opposite number Tony Pulis.

With the Baggies long since safe and Liverpool saving themselves for Wednesday's Europa League final, this was a far tamer encounter enlivened by two excellent goals.

Leko (no 45 in the left hand graphic) set up Rondon (33) for the opener before Ibe (33 in the right hand graphic) showed pace and purpose to level for Liverpool

Leko - a constant threat during his 73 minutes on the pitch - burst between Cameron Brannagan and Joe Allen to set up Rondon with a cute reverse ball for the first, before 20-year-old Ibe cut in off his flank, swerved Jonas Olsson and buried a low shot into the bottom corner to level.

The appearance of England internationals Jordan Henderson - out with knee ligament damage since April - and Danny Ings - missing since October with a knee injury - as late substitutes drew cheers form the travelling fans.

Pre-match unity

Flowers were left on one of the red seats in the away end

Both sets of supporters were united in applause and acclaim before kick-off as West Brom paid tribute to the courage and tenacity of the families of those who died at the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.

The rest of the Premier League showed their solidarity with their campaign at the time of April's verdict of unlawful killing, but West Brom chose to save their salute until Liverpool's final-day visit.

Ninety-six red seats were set up in the away end, each bearing a name of a Hillsborough victim and left unfilled for Sunday's match.

Former Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert - now at West Brom - and Baggies captain Darren Fletcher laid flowers in front of the away supporters before kick-off as the 2012 Hillsborough charity single - a cover of the Hollies' He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother - played over the public address system.

Trouble ahead?

This season's on-field business is done for West Brom, but the discussions over Pulis' future are only just about to start.

Pulis took charge at West Brom in January 2015 after quitting Crystal Palace the previous August

The Baggies boss will meet chairman Jeremy Peace in the next few weeks to discuss the possibility of extending his contract beyond the end of next season.

Fourteenth in the league before Bournemouth replay their abandoned fixture against Manchester United, Pulis will likely point to his success in securing the West Midlands club's Premier League status several weeks before this meeting with Liverpool.

His critics may suggest that security has come at the cost of style with West Brom scoring only 34 goals this season. Only Aston Villa - with 27 - have managed fewer.

Man of the match - Jonathan Leko

Teenager Leko took responsibility, demanding the ball and using it to good effect. He was involved in 16 duels - only Claudio Yacob had more - and he regained possession eight times, the most of any West Brom player

What they said

West Brom boss Tony Pulis: "That has been us for seven or eight games - we needed the second goal, created the chances but have not been able to put them away. We have to have that little bit more in the final third.

"Saido Berahino, James Morrison and Chris Brunt have not played half the games that we would have liked them to this season. With the injuries and the lads we have had to call on, I think the lads have done fantastically.

"I think this is a wonderful club with fantastic tradition. We have to improve, especially at the top end of the pitch."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "I think we deserved this point. We knew that we would have lots of problems if we gave them set-pieces because that was an area in which they could be stronger than us today.

"We created not enough real chances, but we played football, could have done a little bit better, but I am fine with the game.

We have got 60 points. We could have had more, everyone knows this. Could we have had less? No, I don't think so. If we don't play European football next season we have to use the time we have."

The stats you need to know

• West Brom have had fewer shots on target than any other team in the Premier League with 107.

• West Brom's Jonathan Leko is the first player born in 1999 to assist a Premier League goal.

• Salomon Rondon has opened the scoring eight times in the Premier League this season, only Jamie Vardy (12) and Harry Kane (9) have done so more often.

• Jordon Ibe's goal, in the 23rd minute, was the final shot on target of the game.

• Liverpool used 34 players in the 2015-16 Premier League campaign, four more than in any previous season.

• Liverpool have finished outside the top five for the sixth time in seven seasons.